Lithuanian History

The course is dedicated to an overview of the history of Lithuania from the earliest times to the present day. Lithuanians, Poles, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Jews and many other nations coexisted in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Five hundred years of common statehood was halted by Russia. National movements that touched almost every nation in the region in the 19th century resulted in nation-stations that formed and thrived through the 20th century. How is the legacy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuanian being divided today? Looking from this perspective, what is the context of contemporary propaganda wars and geopolitic tensions? How does the past affect political and cultural processes in Lithuania today?

To deepen knowledge of Lithuanian history

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Claims of Belarus and Lithuania to the legacy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Ancient Lithuania as a cradle of Polish culture and Lithuanian “response” Holocaust and Jewish history in Lithuania: conflicts and/or interpretations? Soviet and Russian interpretations of Lithuanian past and the propaganda war.

1. Will understand the problems of Lithuanian history 2. Will define the key problems in the historical development of Lithuanian state and culture. 3. Will characterise the historical development of Lithuanian state and culture in the common European context. 4. Will evaluate the influence of past on modern descriptions of history 5. Will know and be able to critically assess latest historiography dealing with the problems of the history of Lithuania.